How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

How I Live Now is the story about fifteen year old Elizabeth, who is sent to England to live with her Aunt Penn and her cousins Edmond, Piper, Isaac, and Osbert. At first she doesn't like it and is not accustomed to the ways of English relatives. After a few weeks she begins to accept her new surroundings and family. Aunt Penn goes off to Oslo for a presentation, and then a few days later war breaks out in England. Elizabeth, Edmond, Piper, Isaac, and Osbert start taking care of themselves, and a few weeks after the war starts the Military comes and takes Piper and Elizabeth away. They go to live with Major McEvoy and his wife. After a few weeks the Major dies and the house where Piper and Elizabeth comes under enemy fire. Piper and Elizabeth have to survive on what the land has to offer. They find apples, blackberrys, and other things for food. Eventually they make their way back to their home and after days of getting the house livable again Elizabeth's dad calls and takes her back to New York. Elizabeth goes back to England six years later and finds that everyone has changed. Some for the better and some for the worse, especially Edmond. I found this book to be enjoyable from beginning to end. It shows how war can affect everyone and everything, even if you aren't on the battlefield fighting. It also shows the struggle to survive in times of war with limited amounts of food and water.

Tom Burnham